An apparatus for splitting tablets is known that is provided with a cutter for dividing one tablet into two split pieces. Such a cutter is disposed in, for example, a tablet feeder having a passage allowing tablets to fall therethrough and a mechanism for splitting the tablets within the passage, the mechanism being disposed upstream or downstream of the passage (refer to PTL 1). Such a tablet feeder delivers one split piece of the tablet to a packing device at a time. Another tablet feeder is provided with a cutter for dividing a tablet fed from the passage into two split pieces along the horizontal direction (refer to PTL 2). Such a tablet feeder first discharges one split piece of the tablet residing below the cutter, and then discharges the other split piece of the tablet residing above the cutter.
These tablet splitting apparatuses each cut a tablet held at a splitting position with a single blade of a splitting mechanism. Such a splitting mechanism is integrated in or disposed below a tablet holder of a tablet packaging device, for example. The interior of the tablet splitting apparatus defines a vertical through-hole allowing tablets to fall therethrough. The tablets within the passage vertically fall in a substantially spontaneous manner.
Another tablet splitting apparatus is provided with a dual-bladed splitting mechanism for dividing a tablet into some pieces (refer to PTL 3). The two straight blades are faced and level with each other. Varying the relative distance between the two facing blades cuts a tablet. Still another tablet splitting apparatus is provided with a splitting mechanism having with rotary blades (refer to PTL 4).
In these tablet splitting apparatuses, a tablet is held at a splitting position by a holding mechanism and is cut with the blade(s) of the splitting mechanism. In such a tablet splitting apparatus, an appropriate control of the holding mechanism is essential to hold tablets, which are continuously fed, at an appropriate splitting position. The tablet held at an appropriate position allows the blade edge of the splitting mechanism to be stabilized at a position abutting the tablet, resulting in a substantially imperceptible fluctuation in the abutting position.